cough syrup

[Guest guest]

This just applies to children, but it might make those of us feeling

deprived by not being able to take cough medicine that contains a

stimulant better :-)

Study Finds Cough Drugs No Better Than Sugar Syrup

Tue Jul 6, 2004 12:06 AM ET

By Conlon

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Two ingredients commonly used in cough syrup are

no better than sugar water in suppressing night-time coughing in

children, according to a study published on Tuesday.

The two ingredients are dextromethorphan -- often listed on labels

as " DM " -- and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. The former is the

most common nonprescription cough suppressant on the U.S. market, and

commonly abused by adolescents who try to get high on cough medicine.

" Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on over-the-counter

medications for cough, " said Ian , a physician and assistant

professor of pediatrics at Penn State Children's Hospital.

" Our study showed that the two ingredients used in most over-the-

counter medications were no better than a placebo ... in providing

night time relief for children with cough and sleep difficulty as a

result of upper respiratory infection, " he added.

was the chief author of the study appearing in the July issue of

Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The findings were based on 100 children aged 2 to 18 with upper

respiratory infections. Their parents were quizzed about the severity

of the children's cough and how well both parents and children slept

the previous night.

In the evening of the day the parents were questioned the children

were given either one of the commercial preparations or an inert

placebo -- in this case simple syrup.

" There was a significant improvement for all symptoms over the

previous night, which should reassure clinicians and parents that,

regardless of treatment, the natural history of an upper respiratory

infection favors resolution of symptoms with time, " said.

In an interview, said the improvement in symptoms across-the-

board was due to both the natural progression of an infection easing

one day to the next and the well-documented " placebo effect, " where

symptoms diminish because a patient believes a treatment is helping.

He said the sleep of both parents and children improved but the

improvement was the same in the group given sugar syrup as for the

children given the drugs.

Asked what parents should do, said " my advice has been to do

things that are harmless but could help -- saline nose drops, good

hydration and humidified air. "